


The Light in the Darkness

by Jestpackblues



Category: Butterfly Corps., Moth Corps., Original Work
Genre: F/M, Original work - Freeform, butterfly corps, butterfly corps lore, butterfly corps related, hush this is a novel i've been working on forever, yes they are butterflies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 21:29:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8638765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestpackblues/pseuds/Jestpackblues
Summary: A Light vs. Darkness clash, who wins in this centuries old clash?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I've told you that I will post original work, and I never mention the characters names but it's supposed to be like a folk-tale type thing I think I've done well despite not using names. Lemme know what you think ^.^

The legend of the Light and the Shadows started once long ago, when the world was new. A young couple, a man and woman, fell in love. The woman worked as the village healer’s apprentice and lived with her uncle, the young man lived alone on his family’s farmstead. They met every time the man brought his crops to market, the woman seemed to only come to his stand and buy whatever he was selling that day, she often stayed longer than necessary to speak with him before the market closed. Many months passed as the two talked and flirted to become more acquainted with one another before the man decided to formally court the young woman. A happy year passed for the couple, and after some thought, the man finally decided that it was time to make the now-healer his wife. He went, empty handed but with a heart full of love to ask the woman’s uncle for his blessing to wed his beloved. With no more than a single glance at the young farmer, he said no.

            “My dear niece should wed much better than a poor farmer. She has many people pleading for her hand, any of those would be a much better spouse than a man who has nothing but a farm that is barely scraping by to offer her.” Distraught, the man left to find the healer.

“My love, I must leave for a short time but I promise, I will return with a ring that will surely change your uncle’s mind of our joining.” With a saddened kiss, the woman agreed and watched her beloved leave, not knowing of he would ever return despite his promise.

            After a few weeks of wandering about, the young man came upon an old peddler displaying their wares for all to see. He glanced over them when his eye caught a black gem embedded in an intricate silver band. The peddler smiled.

            “That ring has caught your eye, I see.”

            “It’s beautiful. How much do you ask for it?” The peddler eyed the man.

            “’Tis a rare ring, my boy. Not another one like it.” The peddler picked up the ring and held it in their palm. The man stared at the ring, discouraged. It was beautiful, it would have been enough to convince his love’s uncle to change his mind.

            “I see. I don’t think I have enough then.”

            “I believe that is for me to decide. How much is in your purse?” The farmer opened his purse and dumped out a meager amount of coins, the peddler pondered the amount, picking it up and weighing it against the ring before nodding. He put the ring in the young man’s hand.

            “It is yours, but be warned. There is a reason the gem is black.” The young man stared down at the ring, and when he looked up to thank the peddler, they were gone without a trace. He was surprised but he didn’t care. He had the ring and he could finally prove the healer’s uncle wrong.

            The man had been on the road for home for a few days when he began to hear little faint whispers.

            _The ring._ He jumped and looked down at the pouch he had put the ring in.

            _Let us out._ He opened the pouch and pulled out the ring, examining it.

            _Put it on._

 _Put on the ring and let us out._ The ring was talking to him. It was obviously cursed, had he made the wrong choice?

            _We can help you._

            “I’m sorry?”

            _We can help you with your problem._

            “I don’t need help.”

 _Lies. You want to change that man’s mind. We can help._ The man stared at the ring, the color inside the gem had become smoky and started moving about.

            “I don’t need _your_ help.”

 _You’re fooling yourself. You can’t do it on your own, you know that. Put on the ring and let us help. You will have him bending to your will in no time._ The ring changed shape to fit his finger, the man sighed. He knew he shouldn’t, but it was right. He couldn’t do it on his own. He put on the ring. A burning sensation spread from his finger, through his palm and arm and across the rest of his body. He cried out and fell to his knees and watched in horror as his skin started to turn to black and spread with the burning sensation. He frantically tried to pull off the ring but to no avail.

            _Free! We’re free!_ The voices hissed at him louder now, they sounded as though they were right in his ear. His body shook with pain. It grew, and grew until- it stopped. That was it. No more burning, no more pain. He looked down at his hands, they were as black as coal. He wandered over to the river, kneeling down to look at himself. The branching black scars creeped up his neck and onto his face, stopping before they touched his eyes or nose. His normally blue eyes were a silvery-white. His clothes had changed to black as well. He took of the hooded cloak and spread his wings. Black. He put the cloak back on and pulled up the hood. He could feel new-found power swirling in his chest.

            _You’re ours now._

            When the man finally arrived home, he was greeted happily by his beloved who embraced him as he entered the village. Her touch burned him and she Shadows hissed. He cried out and pushed her away. The woman frowned.

            “My love, are you alright?” She reached up and moved the hood and gasped at the scars that had discolored his body. The man pushed her hand away and hid his face again.

            “I’ve gotten help, love. Your uncle will have to let us get married now.” The healer shook her head, hiding her shaking hands. His voice was no longer just his. It was layered with many others.

            “No. You aren’t the man I love anymore. You aren’t him. You can’t be. You don’t sound like him.”

            “Nonsense. It is me, my dear.” He took her hands, ignoring the burning pain in his hands when her skin touched his. She looked down at his hands and noticed the ring and how the scars branched from it. She grabbed it and started to pull.

            _No! No! You can’t let her have it! She’ll destroy it!_ Without thinking, the man pushed her off, pulling his hand away. The woman fell and stared at him. This was no longer the man she had fallen in love with, no, this was someone- some _thing_ else. She stood and left for her temple and into a private prayer room and prayed. She didn’t care who was listening, she needed answers, she needed to save her love. She felt a warmth around her.

            _Do not fret child. I am here. I can help you. Your beloved has made a deal with something evil, and only you have the power to rid him of it._ A light surrounded her.

            _I give you the armor made of pure Light. The only thing strong enough to defeat the Shadows your love has fallen to. And with it, I grant you my cleansing sword and shield. Cleanse him, and you will save him._ The woman looked in the mirror. The gift the mysterious entity had given her shined like the sun. She knew what she had to do.

            She exited the temple to see her beloved destroying the village and people fleeing lest they get caught in the fire. She called out to him and when he turned she knew it was no longer him. It was his body but his consciousness was gone. It was the ring that had plagued his mind and made him different. They clashed.

            Dark against Light, an ages old tale now embodied lovers; one who was no longer himself and one who wished to save him. Her heart hurt when she finally realized she couldn’t defeat him, they were too evenly matched even with her new armor and boon from the golden entity. She led him out of the village, she couldn’t cleanse him of this evil without harming him, she had made up her mind. She pushed him away and charged at him with the sword, tears in her eyes.

            _I’m sorry, my love._ The sword pierced his chest, the Shadows fled his body, the ring fell off his finger. She wrapped an arm around him and held him close as the light consumed them both and with a flash, they were gone. Nothing but the woman’s armor and shield, and the silver ring remained on the ground as a reminder of the lovers’ first clash.

            The centuries passed and the armor, shield and ring were lost to time, and thought to never be found again.


End file.
